Machine for making tablets.



No. 694,743. Patented Mar. 4, I902.

I ,S. C. GURLEY.

MACHINE FOR MAKiNG TABLETS.

(Apialication filed Oct. 5, 1901.) (No Model.) 4 SheetsPSheet L IVJTJVESSES: INVENTOR. M, W

ATTORNEY.

No. 694,743. P atented' Mar 4, I902.

S. G. GURL'EY. MACHINE FOR MAKING TABLETS.

lApplication filed Oct. 6, 1901.}

(No Model.)

4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

' I VITNESSES v i V I 8. C. GURLEY.

Pa tented Mat-4, I902.

MACI'HNE FOR MAKING TABLETS.

(Application filed Oct. 5, 1901.2

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THE News Fans 09.. momumo. wuumqr fl; A n,

AiTORNEY.

4 Sheets-Sheet 3,-

1 ENTOR.

Patnted Mar. 4, 1902. S. C. GURLEY. MACHINE FDR MAKING TABLETS. (Application iled Oct. 5, 1901.)

4Shaets-Sheat 4 r s M a I M 4 m H 1 a r o a I, w 4 .0

(No MndeLJ 1N VENT OR.

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A UNITED STATES PATENT Orr cn'.

SGHUYLER o. GURLEY, or INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA} MACHINEFOR MAKING TABLETS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 694,743, dated March 4, 1902. Application filed October 5, 1901. Serial No. 77,652. (No model.) 4

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, SCHUYLER C. GUBLEY,

a Citizen of the United States, residing at Indianapolis, in the county of Marion and State of Indiana, hase invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Makin g Tablets, of which the following is a speciiica:

tion.

This invention relates to machines for making pharmaceutical and other tablets; and the object is to provide a machine in which the material in powdered form placedin a reservoiror hopper will be fed automatically to the forming-die,whereitwillbepressedintoshape and then discharged by the mechanism of the machine.

The object also is to provide'means for carefully discharging the tablet after it is formed, so as not to mar the shape of it in any way.

The objects of the invention. are accom-' plished by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a front elevation of the complete invention; Fig. 2, a right, and Fig. 3 a left, side elevation of same; Fig. 4, a detail in vertical section on the dotted line 4 4 of Fig. 1; Fig. 5, a vertical section on the dotted line 5 5 of Fig. 2; Fig. 6, a horizontal section on the dotted line 6 6 of Fig. 5; Fig. 7, an under side view of the split die-holding plate, and Fig. 8 a view of the rear or inner side of the cam-wheel.

Like figures of reference'indicate like parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

1 represents the body of the machine, consisting, preferably, of a flat front plate rec tangular in shape, withgreatest dimensions in a vertical direction, having integral sides at right angles thereto and hollow intervening space between the sides. on legs 2, of any suitable formation.

This body rests Moun ted in the upper end of the body is theshaft 3, having cam-wheel 4, parallel with and resting against plate 1. Mounted on the opposite end of the shaft from Wheel 4 is the flywheel 5, and outside of that is the cone-belt pulley 6, to which power is applied from any suitable source by means of a belt. (Not shown.) I The wheel 4 has the eccentric wristpin 7. I Projected forward from the plate 1 is th bracketS, having a vertical guideway for the plunger-rod 10. The lower end of the plunger-rod has a socket in which is placed the punch 11, held inplace by the set-screw 12-, which in order to force the punch-body firmly into the socket has the wedge-like formation shown in Fig. 4. Connecting the upper end of the plunger-rod with the wrist-pin is the link bar or pitm'an 13, and the connection between the upper end of the pitman and the wrist-pin is of peculiar construction, whereby the distance between the center of the wrist-pin and the pintle of the joint between the plunger and the pitman can be varied. The purpose of this adjustment or variation is to enable the maximum descent of the pin nger-rod to be adjusted and determined, thereby in part determining the compression given to thetablet. This capability of adjustment of distance between the abovema'med centers is obtained by means of the following described mechanisnir The upper end of the pitmanis expanded to form a head which has a circular opening considerably larger in diameter than the diameter of the wrist-pin,

and seated in said opening is a wheel13, having an eccentricbore just large enough in diameter to receive the wrist-pin '7, and because of the eccentricity of said bore in said wheel the rotation of the wheel in its seat will correspondingly change the distance between the center of the wrist-pin and the I center of the pintle in the joint below. In order to adjust wheel 13 with precision, its periphery is toothed, and the teeth mesh with the threads of the worm 14, the squared end ofwhich projects outside of the head to engage a suitable key or wrench to be applied thereto in turning the worm to rotate the wheel 13 The head of the pitman is split on one side and the split part connected by pressing operation. 4.0

screw-bolt which when tightened up will draw the parts together, therebyclampingthe wheel 13 and rendering it immovable.

Projected forward from platel is a second" bracket 15, upon which is bolted the die-plate 16, having an opening to receive the hardenedstoel die 17, which has an opening or hole through it in direct alinement with the punch 11, which takes into iton the downward stroke of said punch. The edges of the tablet are formed by the walls of the hole in the die, and one side of the tablet is formed by the lower end of the punch 11, the other side by a like-shaped punch or plug 18, which enters the die-hole from below and forms the bottom of the mold; but on completion of the tablet the plug 18 rises and ejects the tablet from the mold. This is accomplished by the following means: Supported in a suitable guide on the front of bracket 15 is the second'plunger 19, having a socket at its upper end to receive the punch18, which is secured by setscrew 20 in like manner as described for punch 11. The maximum downward movement of the plunger 19 is controlled by the screw 21, which can be set at any desired adj ustment and locked by the lock-nut 22. The plunger rests upon the top of the screw during the compression of the tablet, but lifts 0d of it by separation at the joint 23 when raised to eject the tablet. It will be noted that the extent of the insertion of the lower punch into the die during the pressing process is controlled by the screw 21 and can be changed. This adords a means for regulating the thickness of the tablet, and the compression given to it will depend on how close the upper and lower punches are brought together in the The plunger 19 has the transverse opening 24, into which takes the end of lever 25. The opposite or rear end of the lever is pivoted at 26 to the body, as shown in Figs. 4 and 6. At the upper end of the bodyis a similarly-pivoted lever 27, the front end of which has the friction-roller 28, which takes into the groove 29 in the inner side of the wheel 4. (See Figs. 4 and 8.) This is a cam-groove, as shown in Fig. 8, the irregular portion 30 causing an upward throw of the lever 27 in passing.

Pivotally secured to the lever 27 is the downwardly-depending rod 31, which passes through an opening in lever 25, allowing freedom of movement without contact, and thence through a pipe 32, which is held from dropping off by the nut 33 on the threaded end of the rod 31. Projecting into the path of the rod between the two horizontal levers is the guide and stop 34, and between this stop and the lower lever is spring 35, coiled around the rod 31. The spring presses down on the lever 25, lowering the free end of that lever and its attached plunger, except when raised by the cam-groove acting on upper lever 27 and thence through rod 31, pipe 32, and lever 25. The distance between the two levers 25 and 27 is regulated by the nut 33,

and a given adj ustment is held by the locknut 36. By properly adjusting the distance between the lovers the throw of the lower one can be made so as to bring the top of the lower punch controlled by it exactly even with the top of the die-plate, which is important, for the reason that if it extended above the plate the shoe, hereinafter to be described, which brushes the finished tablet off would strike the end of the punch, and if it did not come up even with the top of the die the shoulder left by the depression would engage the bottom of the tablet and break off the corners of same when raked off by the shoe.

While the die is made out of hardened steel, it is'found that the edges of the hole forming the mold for the tablet rapidly becomes rounded, perhaps partly because of the wear and partly because of the -disintegration caused by the chemicals used in making the tablet-s,'and to make the die more serviceable and longer lived it is made removable and reversible, thereby permitting both sides to be used and adjustable, whereby it can be ground down when worn and refastened higher in its seat. die-plate is split, as clearly shown in Figs. 6 and 7, and the split end drawn together by the bolt 37. Also the opening in the dieplate to receive the die is screw-threaded at its lower portion to receive a screw-threaded sleeve or collar 38. This sleeve or collar is split to allow of its easy insertion and removal, as shown at 39 in Fig. 7, and has wrench-slots 40 to engage a wrench or screwdriver.

41 is the shoe, which rests .1011 top of the die-plate and is pivotally secured thereto by the screw-pin 42. The pin is at the inner end of a lateral slot 43, said end terminating in a round socket to receive the doweled end of a cup 44. The pin 42 passes through this cup, and between the head of the screw and the bottom of the cup is a spring 45, which presses the cup down into the socket, thereby holding the shoe normally in oscillating position around the pin, but by the exertion of a sufficient force allowing the cup to be raised out of the socket, whereby the shoe will be freely removable by sliding it laterally. The front end of the shoe covers the die and its opening, and leading through it is a conduit 46, which connects by the flexible pipe 47 with the reservoir for powder 48. The outlet from the conduit at certain position of the shoe registers with the die-seat for the tablet, and the material for the tablet is delivered through said conduit. A vibratory or shaking movement of the shoe to facilitate the depositing of the powder is given by the lever 49, which is bent, as shown, and pivotally secured at 50 to the plate 1. The lower end of the lever takes into the outer end of the slot 43 of the shoe, and a vibratory movement of that end of the lever obtains by the action of the irregular rim of the cam-wheel 4,Which To this end' the IIC acts. on the roller 51, mounted on the upper end of the bent lever 49.- Contact of the roller with the wheel 4 is insured by the'spring 52. The contour of the cain wheel 4; is such that during the operation of the pressing of the tablet the shoe is held aside outof the way of thetop punch;'but when that has done its work and has drawn up out of the way the shoe is actuated with avibratory or shaking movement across the top of the die-plate. The first lateral movement of the shoe brushes the finished tablet into the conduit 53, whence it is conveyed into the pan 5%, placed to re ceive it, and the continued vibration of the shoe shakes the powder down for a new tablet. The under side of the shoe is preferablycut away at 36 to insure a closer fitover the die.

The hopperis preferably adj nstably secured to the body of the press, whereby it can be shifted in position to contractthe flexible 'condnit in order to makethe flow less free therethrough when the powder is being fed too freely. L

7 Having thus fully described the invention, whatis claimed as new is v 1. A die having a hole through it i0 form:

the sides of a mold, a plug capable of a re oiprocating movementtaking into the die hole from the bottom, a lever to reciprocate the plug, a revoluble shaft, a cam wheel mounted thereon, having a wrist-pin, aplunger having a punch said pnnchtaking into the die hole and said plunger being connected through a pitinan with and reciprocated from the wrist-pin on the earn-wheel, said camwheel having a cam-groove on its inner'side,

a second lever having one of its endstaking in the said cam-groove whereby a vibratory movement is given to the lever and means Y for connecting the two levers whereby they will move in unison.

2. In a tablet-making machine a formingdie havinga movable bottom, a lever by which said bottomis moved, a second lever connect: ed with said first lever, a punch taking into said die, a cam-wheel having a wrist-pin on one side and a cam-shaped groove on the other, a pitman connecting the wrist-pin with the bar carrying the punch and said second lever taking into the cam-groove.

offthe' shoe with the reservoir.

3. In a tablet-makingfmachine a forming.-

. die having a movable bottom, a lever controlcam-groove, a bolt connecting the two levers having a, screw-threaded end, a nut'fon said threaded end whereby the distance between the levers can beregulated and a spring pressing the lowerlever'awa'y from the .upper one.

'4. A die-puma removable and reversible die seated the'rein'and supported by an adjus'table collar,

.5. A die-plate having an opening with a round screw-threaded lower portion, athreaded collar screwing into said threade'd lower portion and a re noivablefand reversible die seated in said opening and. supportedby said collar. V l

6. A die-plate having :an opening with a round. screw-threaded lower portion, said plate havinga splitlextending from one edge to the, opening, a bolt to draw the split parts together,a splitscrew-threaded collar screwed to the lower part of the opening and a removable and reversible die seatedin said opening above the collar and supported thereby.

'7. A shoe, having asocketf'and a lateral slot less in Width than the diameter of the socket leading'therefromto the marginfof the sho'e,a cupseated'in said socket, a headed bolt passing through the cup and socket and a'spring'between the bolt-headand the bottom otthe cu'p.'

8. A die-plate having a die with a die-hole, a shoe pivotally secured to the plate and haying a conduit registering with the die-hole at certain positions of the shoe, means for osc llating the shoe and areservoir containing material to fbe'fed through the'sh oe'tothe die-hole and a tube connecting the conduit In witness whereofI have hereunto setimy hand and seal, at Indianapolis, Indiana, this 27th day of septe'mber, A.jD. 1901 SOHUYLER G." GURLEY.

Witnesses i v a JOSEPH MINT RN, S. MAHLON UNGER. 

